Cultivator attachment.



W. H. LEDBETTER. OULTIVATOR ATTAUHMENT.

APPLIGATION FILED JAN. 24, 1912.

1,081,539. Patented Dec. 16, 1913.

3 SHBET-HEETL Wm 61/ 3 7 v wi bvwweo W. H. LEDBETTER. GULTIVATOB. ATTACHMENT.

A'PPLIUATIION FILED JAN. 24, 1912 1,0 1,539, Patented Dec. 16, 1913.

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COLUMBIA PMNOURAVH COqWASHlmN. n c.

W. H. LEDBETTER.

CULTIVATOR ATTACHMENT. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 24, 1912.

1,081,539. Patented Dec.16,1913.

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COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co.. WA HINGTON. D, c.

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wILLIAr/I Lnnsn'rr'n'it; or frniias assrenon TO sournnnn PLOW COMPANY, OF DALLAS, TEXAS, A conroaarrou or TEXAS.

mama. ATTACHMENT.

specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 16, 1913.

Application filed January 24, '1912. Serial No. 673,206.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, "WILLIAw'r H. Lnnrsnrrnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dallas, in the county of Dallas and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cultivator Attaclv ments, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is designed to simplify and improve the construction of cultlvators and has particular reference to the type of cultivator having spring teeth carried by adjustable parallel bars.

It has been my purpose to provide means for easily and quickly securing the parts in place and for adjusting them and wh ch will at the same time give the requislte strength and bracing effect to the device as a whole.

The novel features ofthe invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the drawings.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a device embodying one form of my invention;- Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device showing a slightly modified form; Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view on the line 3-8 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing my attachment applied to a high wheeled riding cultivator; Fig. 5 is a plan view of the construction shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a detail sectional View on the line 55 of Fig. 2; Fig. 7 is a plan view of the invention applied to a low wheeled walking cultivator; and Fig. 8 is a plan View show ing a modification applied to a wood beam cultivator.

Considering first the particular form of my invention shown in Fig; 1 of the drawings it will be seen that I make use of a plate or member 1, which is preferably in the shape of a casting which has on one or both sides segments 2 and 3, which have teeth 4 in the are of a circle on their outer edge and I prefer to make them in the form of ratchet teeth. The parallel bars 5 and 6 are pivotally secured to the member or casting at 7 and 8, the pivot point for one of them being at the center of the segments 2 and 3, and in the form shown this is the pivot point 8 for the rear bar. The spring teeth 9 are pivotally secured to the bar 5 at 10 and they are also pivotally secured to the rear bar 6. The rear bar 6 is made up of two members one immediately above the other and s'u'fliciently separated to permit" the spring teeth 9 to pass between them. The two members are bolted together and to properly space them so that they will not bind on the teeth one or both of the members is provided with bends or projections eX- tendin-g toward the other member between the teeth, the extent of the bend being saffieient to hold the bars when bolted the proper distance apart to freely receive the teeth. In the specific form shown the lower member 11 has the upward bends 12 between the teeth 9, but it will be understood that the invention is not limited tothis specific construction. The bolts for securing the two members together preferably pass through at the point where the projections or bends are located. The spring teeth are pivotally connected to the bar 6 by round projections and depressions formed by punching the metal. Those skilled in the art will understand that the projection may be made on either part with a corresponding depression on the other part and as one embodiment of this feature I have shown the lower member 11 formed with the upwardly extending projections 13 entering corresponding depressions in the teeth 9, thus locking the teeth in place but permitting free pivotal movement and leaving the upper member of the bar 6 with a smooth upper surface. It hasb'een found that where the bar 6-is formed of two members, one above and the other below the teeth, it is necessary to provide some means for spacing the two members to prevent clamping the teeth too tightly while holding the members rigidly in position to make the pivot joint 13 effective, and the particular construct-ion shown embodying the bends joining the two members between the teeth has been found a very eflicient and easily made construction for the purpose. v

It will be observed that the segments 2 and 3 pass immediately above the parallel tooth carrying bars and serve as braces against upward movement of those bars. On each bar 6 immediately adjacent the margin of the segment I mount a housing which is preferably made in two sections, the bottom section 14 fitting on the bar and the upper section 15 fitting on the lower section, the two sections being fastened to gether and to bar 6 by means of bolts 36, 37; The upper section 15 is provided with a lip 16 or' extension at its end extending over the edge of the segment and the lower section extends under that edge, thus holding the bar and segment in proper relation.

A sliding bolt or member 17 is mounted in -ing longitudinal slots 38, 39 therein through which the bolts 36, 87 pass. The ratchet teeth 4 face forward and the point of the bolt 17 can thus ride over them as the parallel bars are moved forward, but there will be such automatic engagement as to prevent a rearward movement of the bars without manually pulling back out of operative position the bolt 17. It will be observed that by this construction the bolt 17 can be pulled back out of operative position easily and the bar can be moved backward or forward into any desired position and when the bolt is released it will lock the bar against any backward movement.

The clamping member or casting 1 in the preferred form shown has a groove or socket 19 longitudinally in its top and this groove is made with notches or ribs, whereby it will engage a beam of the cultivator, whatever form that beam may have in cross section. An upper clamping member 20 which is also preferably in the shape of a casting has a groove or socket on its under surface corresponding to the groove in the lower member and this upper member is secured to the lower member by means of bolts 21, 22 passing through ears at the side of the member. These bolts permit the clamping of the two members together over the beam which is inserted in the groove and the grooves in the two members are, as above described, of such shape that they will engage and hold in proper position a beam, whether it is rectangular in cross section, diamond-shaped or round. My invention in its broader aspects is of course not limited to the specific way of dividing the clamping members and segments or of clamping the beam.

While the form shown in Fig. 1 is adapted for use on a high wheeled riding cultivator or as an ordinary diverse cultivator having no wheels it is particularly designed for use on low wheeled walking cultivators.

Whenused on such low wheeled cultivators' it is desirable to have means for securing thereto handles for the purpose of guiding and controlling it and in Fig. 1 the upward extension 23 is provided for this purpose. This extension is preferably made as a separate removable part secured to one of the clamping members and in the particular embodiment shown for purposes of illustration it is secured to the lower member 1 by means of the forward portion 25 fitting in a socket in the member 1 so shaped as to prevent turning and a bolt 26 passing through that portion and the member clamping them together.

WVhen the form shown in Fig. 1 is employed on a low wheeled walking cultivator having two beams a pair of the devices is used one for each beam and a single handle is secured to each extension 23 as shown in Fig. 7 so that the two devices can be controlled by the operator walking behind the cultivator. On the other hand, when the device is used as a single diverse cultivator without wheels in which the horse is attached to a clevis on the single beam to which the device is fastened, two handles are preferably secured to the extension 28 as shown in Fig. 2 and the device is provided with preferably three teeth on each side and a central tooth. t will be noted from the construction described that the de vice as shown in Fig. 2 may be clamped directly to a metal beam or to the ordinary wooden beam, and in that case the extension 23 may be omitted if desired and the handles secured directly to the rear end of the beam as is usual. In case a wooden beam is used the upper clamping member may also be omitted and the lower member 1 may be made without the groove 19 and may be bolted directly to the beam by extending the bolts 7 and 40 through it, as shown in Fig. 8. The bolt 40 passes through the opening which ordinarily receives the bolt 26 and the bolt 7 passes through the beam, the member 1, the bars 5 and the central tooth, thus releasably holding these parts together.

It will be observed that by the construction which has been described the plate or member 1 has the integral segmental extensions on the sides projecting laterally immediately above the parallel bars and the housing carrying the springpressed bolt fits over the edge of this segmental section in such a way as to prevent any relative vertical movement, so that the parallel bars are not only held in proper angular position, but are braced by the segments. lVhile I have shown the bottom plate 1 formed in one piece which cooperates with the separate upper clamping member and while I regard this as the preferred form it will be understood that the invention is not limited to this way of dividing the parts and for bolting or clamping them in place.

In Figs. 4 and 5 I have shown my inven tion applied to a high wheeled riding cultivator which includes the usual frame 27, which is only partially and diagrammatically shown, mounted on the wheels 28. On

each side of this cultivator there is a rear-' wardly extending beam 29 which is preferably made tubular in form as shown, and which may be adjusted by the operator riding on the machine. In this form the cultivator teeth on opposite sides of the beam 29 are preferably not placed opposite each other because it is impossible to place the cultivator teeth on the outer 'side of the beam very far forward, owing to the wheels of the cultivator, and it is desirable to place the teeth on the inner side far enough forward to permit the operator riding on the machine to conveniently see the inner teeth in operation so as to know whether or not they are being kept at the proper distance from the row of plants being cultivated. In this form each device preferably has three teeth as shown, the inner forward device being made with one of its three teeth immediately below the beam. In order to place the inner teeth in advance of the outer teeth as described it is necessary for me to use two separate attachments 01L each beam, each attachment having parallel bars on one side only. It will be observed that I may make use of the casting or member 30 having the segments 31 and 32 extending on opposite sides, although in this arrangement the parallel bars 33, 34 extend only on one side, but this is not necessary, and the segment on one side may be omitted as shown in Fig. 5. The member 30 is clamped to the beam 29 by the upper clamping member 35 having a socket corresponding to that in the lower member 30 and the two members being secured together by bolts. The spring-pressed locking bolt in this arrangement is the same and operates in the same way as in the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

It will be observed that my invention embodies an attachment which can be separately manufactured and sold and which can be applied to cultivators of various types and that it can be very easily and quickly placed in position and adjusted. The specific embodiment shown includes the spring teeth, parallel bars, the supporting plate to which the bars are pivoted and the notched adjusting segment and releasable catch as a complete article of manufacture, and it is not necessary to take apart this device in order to apply it to a cultivator or to remove it from the beam.

In the specific form shown in Fig. 7 the low wheeled cultivator has the ordinary frame 4C1 carried by the wheels 42, 43 and the pivoted beams 4%, 45 extend to the rear, and each of these beams carries an attachment like that shown in Fig. 1. A single handle 46 is secured to each attachment for the use of the operator walking behind the device in controlling the position of the attachments. In Fig. 8 the attachment is secured to a wooden beam 47 of the ordinary type having handles 48 secured thereto at the rear and the clevis 49 at the front end. In the type of device shown in Fig. 8 I preferably make use of three spring teeth on each side making seven in all, whereas in the form shown in Fig. 7 each attachment preferably has five teeth.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent is:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination with spring teeth for a cultivator of upper and lower bars between which said teeth pass, means for pivotally holding said teeth in position between said bars and one of said bars having spacing bends between said teeth making contact with the other bar whereby a free pivotal movement of the teeth is permitted.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with spring teeth for a cultivator, of upper and lower bars between which said teeth pass, means for holding said bars together, the lapping portions of said bars and teeth having integral interlocking pivot means and one of said bars having spacing bends between said teeth holding said bars apart to permit a pivotal movement of said teeth.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination with a front bar pivotally supported, of upper and lower rear strengthening bars pivotally mounted, means for holding said bars together, teeth pivotally connected at their front ends to the front bar and extending between the upper and lower strengthening bars and pivotally connected thereto and the lower strengthening bar having spacing bends therein between said teeth.

4:. In a device of the class described adapted to be secured to plow beams of various shapes, the combination with a lower clamping member having bearing surfaces at its top in a single plane adapted to fit against the flat under surface of a plow beam and a longitudinal groove or socket in its upper face having inward projections, the ends of which are in the plane of a cylinder whereby a cylindrical beam may fit in said socket against said ends and said projections being separated on longitudinal lines whereby the edge of an angular beam may fit between them, an upper clamping member fitting against said lower member having a corresponding socket, and means for secur ing said members together.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM H. LEDBET'IER.

Witnesses O. D. BRUNDIDGE, W. G. MENTON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

